In Memory of Capitan

Raul Chavez Portillo

Paying homage to Raul Chavez Portillo

https://www.denvervoice.org/archive/2022/10/3/paying-homage-to-raul-chavez-portillo 

Father and son team’s symbolic mural memorializes local Aztec dancer 

Photos and Story by Ashton Brown 

At the southwest corner of 10th Ave. and Santa Fe Dr., in the heart of the Santa Fe Art District, is a mural commemorating the life of local Aztec dance leader Raul Chavez Portillo, who passed away in May at the age of 70. 

The mural is the creation of father and son Jerry and Jay Jaramillo, in recognition of Chavez’s legacy. In 1992, Chavez founded his dance group Huitzilopochtli which he named for the Aztec god of sun and war, as a way to celebrate the Aztec culture and create greater awareness of its customs. 

Over several decades, Huitzilopochtli performed frequently on the Auraria Campus. While he was a student at Metropolitan State University, Jay Jaramillo was a regular audience member of these performances. During this period, Chavez spent a lot of time with the Jaramillos and became like family to them. 

Jerry and Jay Jaramillo titled their mural, “Tlaloc,” after the supreme Aztec god of thunder and lightning. In the painting, Chavez is depicted as Tlaloc, surrounded by several Aztec symbols. Just above Chavez’s head is a roaring jaguar, a symbol of power. In the painting, the jaguar is emitting lightning bolts from its open mouth. The feathered serpent in the mural is a symbol of knowledge and is often seen in Aztec and Mayan art. The feathers also represent Chavez being in the “spirit realm,” meaning he now has feathers in the afterlife. The empty space below Chavez’s head is intentional,  to represent his soul in the cosmos. 

Jay Jaramillo said he applied for a permit to create this particular mural because that section of Santa Fe Drive has been like a home to him. Jerry Jaramillo, a renowned artist, jeweler, and sculptor, owned an art gallery in the district, and his art shows and exhibits frequently included Jay’s paintings. Since then, the neighborhood has changed significantly. 

“We really had a home going on here, but we’ve been kind of displaced like a lot of people in Denver,” said Jay. 

Painting the mural gave Jay and his father an opportunity to interact with their old community. The Jaramillos believe “Tlaloc” brings honor to the Aztec and Mexican cultures and hope the mural will “preserve the culture of the community,” while also honoring Chavez’s life. 

What makes “Tlaloc” especially significant is that it reflects the Aztec culture without any reference to European influences. It is purely Aztec art. According to the Jaramillos, “Tlaloc” is ultimately about healing for Chavez’s family and the community he inspired so much. “Raul’s family lives not too far from here, and his daughter drove by here the other day so they could have some healing too, I feel like he passed away a little too young,” said Jay. 

The mural itself is a bit of a time capsule. States that used to be Mexico such as Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, were called Aztlan, the Aztec capital, which is also referred to as “the land toward the north.” This Aztec influence is still present in these landscapes, including towns and cities throughout Colorado. By creating this memorial of Chavez in the Santa Fe Art District Jay Jaramillo says it’s a way of “going back in time,” and showcasing that Aztec influence on modern-day life. 

With the mural, Jay Jaramillo believes it will ensure Chavez’s legacy lives on. “Sometimes you lose the grandmother or the grandfather of the family. and the family culture falls apart, so we wanted for the people to see him—especially in the neighborhood where his family still lives,” he said. Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the September 2022 issue of the Denver VOICE

Community mourns Raul Chavez Portillo, a leader of Aztec dance in Denver

https://www.rmpbs.org/news/raul-chavez-portillo-aztec-dance-funeral

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Ancient traditions, practices and knowledge converged in a celebration of the life of Denver cultural icon Raul Chavez Portillo at Crown Hill Mortuary in Lakewood May 19. Chavez was born in Mazatlán, Mexico in 1952 and moved to Denver when he was a teenager bringing his love and passion for Danza Azteca (Aztec dance) with him.

Chavez died on May 7, 2022 at 68 years old. Friends, family and supporters came together to mourn and honor him. “It gives the community hope. There’s hope for our culture. He means love and he means beauty,” one mourner said.

Throughout his life in Denver, Chavez started and was a member of various Danza Azteca groups that offered support to the Chicano community in the Mile High City. Chavez first started dancing in 1973 and eventually formed Grupo Tlaloc.Chavez performed for his entire adult life. Just before he passed away, he participated in a dance to honor Alicia Cardenas, the owner of Sol Tribe Tattoo that was killed in a shooting in December of 2021.

“He was humble. He was gentle. And you learn from him just like that,” another mourner said.Chavez was raised in a family that descended from generations of dancers and healers. For decades, his mission was to heal people through cultural inclusivity and mutual respect using practices that were rooted in the Aztec empire, but had been hidden for centuries after colonialism began.

“The vibrant and flourishing Azteca community that exists here, you can trace it back in part to the work that Raul Chavez Portillo did and there’s no denying that,” said Dr. Renee Fajardo, a teacher, mentor, and author in Denver’s Chicano community.

“As we progress, we see this beautiful urban city and all of these beautiful traditions of art and we don’t realize that all of this stands on the shoulders of somebody, something, some people. And Raul Chavez Portillo is one of those people,” Fajardo added.

Traditional dancers came from across the United States and Mexico in their full regalia to pay tribute to Chavez.“We’re actually marching for our Capitán Raul, to open up the four directions, our animas, our spirits. We are calling them to allow us to put him to rest, to be able to say, 'Hey spirits, we are here. We are calling out for you to take him to the spirit world,'” said one of the dancers in attendance. To those who came to recognize Chavez’s contributions to Denver, the rainbow that appeared in the sky during the memorial seemed fitting.“Raul was a great mystic," Fajardo said. "He believed in symbols everywhere. He always said to us if I’m no longer there with you in body I will send you a sign. I think he sent us our sign. I think that rainbow is a sign."

Dana Knowles is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS and can be reached at danaknowles@rmpbs.org.

Brian Willie is the content production manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can contact him at brianwillie@rmpbs.org.

Community mourns Raul Chavez Portillo, a leader of Aztec dance in Denver

Raul Chavez Portillo, who elevated Aztec dance in Denver, has died

Raul Chavez Portillo, who elevated Aztec dance in Denver, has died